Brahimi’s deputy leaves Syria talks team

Nasser al-Kidwa, the deputy of international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, has been removed from the small team running the Geneva peace talks that aim to end the war in Syria, diplomatic sources said on Monday.

"He has been sacked," one of the diplomats said. A member of Brahimi's team declined to comment.

Al-Kidwa, a former foreign minister of the Palestinian authority and nephew of Yasser Arafat, was appointed as a deputy to Brahimi's predecessor Kofi Annan in March 2012, and continued in the role under Brahimi.